The 2024 NFL Draft class is stockpiled on cornerback talent. For defenses seeking to neutralize explosive wide receivers, they’ll have plenty to choose from.
Is Max Melton a CB that teams should covet? It’s time to get to know one of the intriguing corners of this rookie class.
How Tall Is Max Melton?
Most teams are starting to pivot toward taller cornerbacks — ones who check in above 6’1″ and can match height-on-height with who they line up across.
Melton comes in standing at 5’11”. However, this doesn’t mean he’s considered a short option at CB by average NFL standards.
In fact, the average height for league corners is currently 5’11”, making Melton ideal for any defense that wants to insert him into their lineup.
How Much Does Melton Weigh?
Does Melton come with the average weight of an NFL CB?
Yes, he does at 193 pounds.
But Melton has had to bulk up from his past weight when he started college. He once weighed in at 165 pounds for his senior high school season at Cedar Creek in Egg Harbor City, NJ.
How Old Is Melton?
Melton will be among the several 21-year-old prospects ready to taste the NFL experience.
He was born on April 15, 2002, and grew up in the Mays Landing Section of Hamilton Township, Atlantic City, NJ.
He emerged as a high-profile defensive recruit for Cedar Creek, with ACC representative Boston College and Big 10 school Purdue making a run at him through its scholarship offers.
What School Did Melton Go To?
Melton was on track to suit up for the Boilermakers as a member of their 2020 class.
However, Rutgers managed to prevent a nearby prospect from drifting off, flipping him from Purdue to the Scarlet Knights on Dec. 18. Melton decommitted from Purdue just seven days earlier to sign with the Big 10 New York/New Jersey representative.
MORE: Top Cornerbacks in the 2024 NFL Draft
And in the case of Melton, he ended up becoming a legacy recruit for the Scarlet Knights. Father Bo Melton played football for Rutgers. Mother Vicki was a past women’s basketball player on the campus.
Even Melton’s older brother, Bo Jr., starred for Rutgers at wide receiver before going in the seventh round of the 2022 draft to the Green Bay Packers.
Revisiting Melton’s College Career
Is this Melton just as decorated as his past Scarlet Knight family members?
He went on to emerge as a steady starting presence the moment he showed up on campus for this true freshman year. He played in seven total games during the truncated 2020 campaign and delivered 18 solo tackles.
From there, Melton turned into an All-Big 10 performer. Melton snatched three interceptions in 2021 while improving his solo tackles to 19. He swatted a career-best 10 passes in 2022 while producing 23 solo tackles.
In his final collegiate season, he started all 12 games and led the team with three interceptions. And one of his picks came against No. 22 Iowa.
Melton’s Potential in the NFL
Melton already comes from an NFL family, so he’s already used to being in a household with expectations hovering above.
Except for Melton, he’s anticipated to fall higher than his older brother for this draft class. PFN’s Ian Cummings called him a top-64 prospect, meaning Melton has the capability of being siphoned somewhere in the second round.
“At 5’11”, 193 pounds, with 32″ arms, Melton has an incredibly unique frame — one that brings the benefits of both a smaller and larger cornerback. He plays low in his stance and is extremely fleet-footed, agile, and elastic — but he also has a wide disruption radius and the long-strider speed to chew up space and erase gaps,” Cummings wrote.
On the coverage end, Cummings became a fan of how Melton shadows opposing wide receivers with this review.
“Melton’s elite combination of explosiveness, twitch, hinge, and swivel fluidity, and long speed makes him a tantalizing coverage prospect with incredible upside. He can effortlessly match WRs and recover positioning off releases, and his speed makes him a leverage bandit late in reps,” Cummings said.
KEEP READING: Ian Cummings’ Full Scouting Report of Max Melton
The knock on Melton is that he can play overly aggressive at times.
“He can be prone to wasted motion and inefficient footwork in man coverage, and he can also be more efficient in zone,” Cummings wrote.
But overall, Melton has strong potential to become a starter and help blanket receivers in the NFL. In PFN’s top cornerback rankings, Melton checks in as the No. 7 CB ahead of the draft.
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